Bryce Jackson, the leading fast-bowling wicket-taker in last summer’s One-Day Cup, has been dropped from Western Australia’s 2026-27 contract list that sees a reshuffle of the bowling pack.
Cameron Gannon exits WA for a return to Queensland and Matt Kelly has not taken up a state contract to focus on white-ball cricket, while none of Teague Wyllie, Baxter Holt and Keaton Critchell were offered contracts.
WA has recruited Kieran Elliott from Tasmania, understood to be on a two-year contract, and handed exciting teenaged allrounder Will Malajczuk his first state contract, with Premier Cricket run-machine Tom Murray also added to the state list.
Fast bowlers Jhye Richardson and Lance Morris have also returned to WA’s books after both bowlers were cut from Cricket Australia’s central contract list for 2026-27.
Absorbing that pair’s return has seen WA reduce their men’s list to 22 players, including the CA-contracted trio of Cameron Green, Josh Inglis and Mitch Marsh, with the same four players returning on rookie deals.
WA men’s squad for 2026-27: Cameron Bancroft, Mahli Beardman, Hilton Cartwright, Cooper Connolly, Brody Couch, Joel Curtis, Kieran Elliott, Sam Fanning, Jayden Goodwin, Cameron Green (CA), Aaron Hardie, Liam Haskett, Josh Inglis (CA), Will Malajczuk, Mitchell Marsh (CA), Tom Murray, Lance Morris, Joel Paris, Jhye Richardson, Corey Rocchiccioli, Ashton Turner, Sam Whiteman. Rookies: Simon Budge, Albert Esterhuysen, Jordan Quiggin, Corey Wasley
Ins: Kieran Elliott (Tasmania), Will Malajczuk, Tom Murray
Outs: Keaton Critchell, Cameron Gannon (Queensland), Baxter Holt, Bryce Jackson, Matt Kelly, Teague Wyllie
Gannon, who last month was named the Laurie Sawle Medallist as the state’s best player in 2025-26 and was their leading wicket-taker in the Sheffield Shield, is returning to Queensland for family reasons after a six-year stint with WA.
His 42 wickets at 24.38 in the Shield put him second overall among wicket-takers, behind NSW’s Liam Hatcher’s 44, having played all 10 matches in a campaign that saw WA finish with the wooden spoon and just one win.
The 37-year-old Gannon, who played for Queensland between 2010-11 until his move to WA, attended the Queensland team’s celebration for the retiring Usman Khawaja after their final match against WA, and is a strong chance to be win a fresh contract with the Bulls.
Jackson’s 15 wickets in six matches at 22.13 in last summer’s One-Day Cup put him joint second in the competition’s wicket-takers’ list, with only leg-spinners Tanveer Sangha (19) and Mitch Swepson (15) ahead of him. His tally included 4-40 in his last match against Victoria at the WACA Ground.
He has now taken 34 wickets at 20.79 and an economy of 5.57 from 14 List A matches, including a trio of games for Australia A last winter against Sri Lanka A in Darwin.
Elliott, who was restricted to just four Sheffield Shield appearances for Tasmania last summer in a strong bowling group, took 10 wickets at 38.60, capped by a career-best haul of 6-23 against eventual champions South Australia in February.
The 18-year-old Malajczuk made headlines in January by hitting the fastest ever century at the U19 World Cup when he reached his ton from 51 balls against Japan, featuring five sixes and 12 fours.
The left-handed batter, who also spent time with Australia’s Test squad during last summer’s whirlwind Perth Test, made his One-Day Cup debut in February, showing promise with a quickfire 23, then took two wickets with his right-arm off-spin against Victoria in his second match.
Murray hit four centuries as an opening batter with WA Premier Cricket side University in their charge to back-to-back titles, including an unbeaten 132 in the semi-final against Mount Lawley.
Murray also hit three half-centuries in as many matches for WA’s Second XI side this summer.
After winning a historic dual three-peat of Shield and One-Day Cup titles from 2021-22 to 2023-24, WA has finished with the wooden spoon in the Shield the past two seasons. And with long-time assistant Beau Casson taking over as head coach following the departure of Adam Voges, as well as fresh facilities following an upgrade at the WACA Ground, this winter was seen as a chance to reset.
“We feel now is an opportune time to welcome some fresh faces into the squad after a season that did not play out how we would’ve liked,” said WA’s High Performance general manager Kade Harvey.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kieran Elliott into the program, and we feel he will complement our existing fast bowlers nicely.
“There’s no denying Will Malajczuk’s talents and we are really excited at what he has to offer with both bat and ball.
“Tom Murray’s form at both Premier Cricket and Toyota Second XI level this season was exemplary and he deserves his opportunity to represent WA.”
It has been a dramatic fall for 21-year-old Wyllie, who was Australia’s star at the 2022 U19 World Cup. Later that year, his 104 against New South Wales at 18 years and 163 days old made him the youngest centurion in the Shield since Ricky Ponting.
However there hasn’t been a follow-up, with only two other fifties in his 41 first-class innings that has left him with an average of 20.79.
Casson targeted batting as an area of focus, as well as returning the WACA to a “fortress” for the state when he was unveiled as the new head coach.
“As a coaching staff, we are going to be aggressive in trying to produce Australian cricketers.
“Clearly, we’d like to be further up the ladder when it comes to Shield cricket,” Casson said.
“Our home conditions, we haven’t been owning that as well as we would have liked. That’s certainly an area we will attack and look to get better at.”
